


And That Is That

by wicked_wyvern



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 18:35:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3820624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wicked_wyvern/pseuds/wicked_wyvern
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belladonna grows up knowing exactly where she wants her wandering feet to take her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And That Is That

**Author's Note:**

  * For [amyfortuna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amyfortuna/gifts).



Gerontius Took does not want to name his first daughter Belladonna. It is not appropriate that his first daughter be named after a poison. She should be named for beauty or light or joy. He would even be willing to name her after one of his deceased relatives. The name of his mother would be quite appropriate. Carabella.

Adamanta is as firm as an old oak tree. Belladonna will be her name and that is that. She has the entirety of the Grand Smials calling their daughter Belladonna by the end of the day.

The name Belladonna never passes his lips. Gerontius calls her Bella. No one else ever does.

 

Bella is a fearless child. She is not yet one when she wanders away from their smial because she is bored and her brothers refuse to entertain her. They find her half a league away in a blueberry patch with mouth and fingers stained purple.

 

At two years old she chases after her older brothers who are not pleased but also take care not to leave her alone. When they visit Eastfarthing Bella makes friends with the massive guard dog the Maggots trained to keep young Brandybucks from picking at their crops. She tells her brothers that Pretty is much more fun than they are and refuses to leave. They are all caught by one of Farmer Maggot's sons but Bella is the only one that escapes unscathed. The dog Grim, now answering to the name Pretty, doesn't let Farmer Maggot get anywhere near her.

 

At four years old she marches right up to good old Gandalf and demands fireworks. Adamanta is busy taking care of Bella's younger sister Donnamira and Bella has been left to her own devices. Gandalf is as patient as he ever is with young faunts and tells her that it must first be dark for her to see them. Bella grabs hold of his grey robe and climbs up to sit in his lap and demands a story instead. Gandalf smiles and tells her about a country far away and the Riders of Rohan.

(Gandalf tells Gerontius about his fearless daughter after dinner. While Adamanta is aghast, Gerontius laughs. He laughs so hard and loud that he falls from his seat. When he is finished he asks if Bella is now Gandalf's favorite. Gandalf smiles. It is not nearly as secretive as it usually is.)

 

When Bella is barely into her tweens she decides she wants to leave the Shire. She announces this loudly to her family at supper to a loud uproar. Her mother forbids her. Her sisters plead with her. Her brothers that still live at home tell her she will never survive. She's too young. Her rambles in the Old Forest are nothing like what is outside the Shire.

Gerontius lights his pipe and leans back in his chair. He takes a few puffs of his pipe and asks her where she is going to go.

Rivendell, Bella says. There is a fierce light in her eyes. She wants to see the elves.

How will you get there, Gerontius asks.

I will wander, Bella says. Like Gandalf does.

Gerontius raises a bushy eyebrow. Are you going to go with Gandalf, he asks.

Bella hesitates. She then says that she would not mind going with Gandalf.

Then you must wait until midsummer, Gerontius says over the strangled protests and groans of the rest of their family.

Alright, Bella agrees. And that is that.

 

Bella takes many trips with Gandalf. None of them are as long as the trips she takes to Rivendell. Most of them are quite shorter. Her absences in Tuckborough are never taken much note of. For years Bella has been disappearing into the Old Forest and returning whenever she pleased. That she now travels farther is of little consequence to her reputation.

She is a very Tookish Took and no one knows that better than Gerontius. Except for a young hobbit named Bungo Baggins.

Bungo is a very sweet and gentle hobbit. Tuckborough is forever surprised that such a staid Baggins would set his cap after such a wild Took. He waits patiently for her and comes to call every afternoon. Bungo gets to know Gerontius very well while he waits for Bella to return home.

That poor boy, the neighbors say. He'll never be able to keep her.

When Bungo proposes to Bella she says much the same.

You'll never be able to keep me, she tells him and smiles. She does not say it meanly.

I don't want to keep you like a pet bird, Bungo says. I would like it if you would come home to me. Can you do that?

Bella thinks. She has been getting better at thinking under Gandalf's tutelage. He says that too often she runs off without thinking.

Alright, Bella agrees.

 

Bungo builds them a smial in Hobbiton and names it Bag End. He uses a good bit of Bella's money to do so but she does not mind. What better use for money than to build a home?

It is a beautiful smial. It is very big for a family of two but Bungo hopes they will fill it with children. Bella is not necessarily opposed to this but her feet still want to wander. She takes one last trip to Rivendell with Gandalf before returning to Bag End.

Bungo welcomes her with a smile and a kiss and a supper fit for a family of ten.

What a waste of food, Bella exclaims. Even though many of the things Bungo made will keep fresh for the next week. She tells him not to do it again.

Bungo agrees with a smile. He is happy that his wife is home and healthy. She clearly appreciates his efforts to welcome her home but does not approve of waste. A Baggins can appreciate that. He does not mind curtailing some of his extravagance. A marriage is always a game of give and take. And Bella has already given him more than he ever expected.

 

In 1290 by Shire-reckoning, Belladonna gives Bungo even more. Their son Bilbo is perfect and well-formed. A healthy baby that wails whenever his mother leaves his sight but is perfectly content when she takes him on her rambles through Hobbiton.

Bungo is thrilled in the way that all Baggins fathers are.

Belladonna is happy. With her life. With her home. With her husband. With her son.

And that is that.


End file.
